Erwin la yens



' (No Model.)

E. LAVENS.

ELEGTRIG ARG LAMP.

No, 555,706. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

mil-l l' Mmm?? UNITED raras yATENT OFFICE.

FRVIN LAVENS, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL INCANDESOENTARO LIGHT COMPANY, OF. SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,706, dated March 3,1896.

Application filed May 2S, 1895. Serial Noi 550,358. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERWIN LAvnNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedImprovements in Electric Arc Lamps, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to electric-arc lamps; and it consists of themechanism employed for establishing and maintaining the lightarc betweenthe carbons.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of such lampsby decreasing the number of operative parts.

In the accompanying drawings, which will serve to illustrate myinvention, Figure I is a side view of a portion of a lamp embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is an end view at the right of Fig. I. Fig. 3 is aplan view and partial section looking down with top plate removed. Figs.4 and 5 are detail views of the clutch mechanism, taken on the line oc mof Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A is a base-plate; B, top plate; O and D, side plates. These plates aresuitably secured together and serve to support the mechanism of thelamp.

E is a shunt-magnet, which is shown as divided into two parts E F2,connected by means of a yoke F.

G is a shaft mounted on the adjustable pivots H H', located,respectively, in the side plates C and D. To the shaft is secured awheel or drum I, which is in operative engagement with carbon-support JThe carbon-support is, in the present instance, a rod-like support andis adapted to move lengthwise through and be guided by the edges of theopenings K in the plates A and B. I have shown the wheel I formed as apinion and the carbonsupport as a rod provided with a rack J on itsinner side.

I wish it under-stood that I do not limit myself to a rack-and-pinionengagement between wheel I and carbon-support J, as I may use a iiexibleband or other connection, as more commonly employed in similar lamps,and which are well known to those skilled in the use and manufacture ofsuch lamps.

L is a clutch-wheel mounted on shaft G and having its peripheral edgeformed as a flange L. It will be observed that as the wheel I andclutch-wheel L are fixedly mounted on shaft G the weight of thecarbon-support J will, unless resisted, rotate the shaft and wheels tothe right as it descends or to the left when elevated. Mounted on thepivots I'I H' is the armature M, which is formed of the side arms N Oand head I. The arm N, Figs. 2 and 3, is carried upward, and when thearmature drops bears against an adjustable screw-stop N, carried in anoffset N2 of the side plate, D. By adjusting the stop N the distancewhich the head P of the armature will drop may be previously determined.

The arm O, Figs. l and 4, carries a dog or dogs Q, which in the presentinstance consist of a bar slotted transversely at its outer end toinclude the fiange L of the clutch-wheel L and slotted longitudinally atits inner end to take over a pin R. Fastened at one end to the dog andat the opposite end to an extension O of arm O is a helical spring. Thisspring, owing to the fact that the dog has a different center of motionfrom that of the clutch-wheel, tends to cause the end of the dog todescribe and arc which would cut the circle described by the peripheryof the clutch-wheel. As a consequence the dog or dogs grip the outerperiphery of the clutch-wheel. The action of the spring or springs ismanifestly aided by the weight of the carbon-support. An upward movementof the carbon-support, it will be seen, tends to slacken the bite of thedogs and a free upward movement will be permitted.

The end P of the armature is arranged to carry weights T, which may beadjusted for variations of electrical pressure.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the armatureM,considered as a whole, forms a lever of the rst order. Thecarbon-support is carried on the short end of the lever and isoverbalanced by the weights of the long arm of the lever. Normally,therefore, the armature raises the carbonsupport and separates thecarbons, which is a requisite-mz'. c. lamps of the type described. Urepresents an arm pivoted at I-I and de- IOO signed to vbe swung uponits fulcrum-point and then secured in the adjusted position.

For this purpose I may provide a clampingscrew U', secured to the arm Uand moving in an arc-shaped slot U2 on the side plate C. rlhe free sidesof the arm carry stops V V', projecting into the path of J[he dogs Q,and which serve when the dogs bear against them to push the outer end ofthe dogs backward to release the clutch-wheel Il. Preferably, one of thestops V' is provided with an adjustable screw V2. 'By means of the arm Uand screw V2 the feeding movement of the carbon-support may be adjustedand determined.

The operation of the mechanism may be described as follows: XVhen thecurrent is turned on the magnet overcomes the weight of the armature,the shaft Gr is rotated to the right, the dogs Q strike the stops, theclutchwheel is released and the carbon support drops, and the arccarbons are brought into opposition. Immediately the armature drops andthe carbon-support is raised to strike the arc. As the resistance of thearc increases the armature is gradually raised, and, as before, thecarbon-support is lowered to compensate for consumpt-ion in the are andto maintain the lengt-h of the arc.

I claim as my invention* l. In an arc lamp, the combination of a movablecarbon-support, a shaft carrying a wheel or drum from which thecarbon-support is suspended, a clutch-wheel mounted on said shaft, agravitally-acting armature which normally overcomes the weight of thecarbonsupport, a dog or dogs carried by said armature and moving withsaid clutch-wheel, an adjustable stop in the path of said dog or dogs,and a magnet for moving said armature, whereby said dog` or dogs arebrought into engagement with said stop and thereby :release the clutchwhen the length of the are exceeds a predetermined limit, substantiallyas specified.

2. In an arc lamp, the combination of a movable carbon-support, a shaftcarrying a wheel or drum from which the carbon-support is suspended, aclutch-wheel mounted on said shaft, a gravitally-actin g armature whichnormally overcomes the weight of the carbonsupport, a dog or dogs sopivoted as to move eccentrically to the axis of said armature, a magnetfor moving said armature, and a stop against which the dog or dogsstrike when the armature in its movement reaches a predetermined point,thereby acting to release the carbon-support, and permit the uppercarbon to feed, substantially as specified.

In an arclamp, the combination of a movable carbon-support, a shaftcarrying a wheel or drum from which said carbon-support is suspended, aclutch-wheel mounted on said shaft, a gravitally-actin g armature whichnormally overcomes the weight of the carbonsupport, said armature sopivoted as to have the same axis of rotation as the shaft on which theclutch-wheel is mounted, but arranged to move independently of saidshaft, a dog or dogs pivoted upon said armature, and in such positionthat their pivotal points will, when the armature is actuated, moveconcentric to the armature-pivot, a magnet for moving said armature, anda stop in the path of said dog or dogs, whereby free 'upward movement ofthe carbon-support is permitted, a gradual downward movement of thecarbon-support is effected to compensate for the consumption in the arc,and a quick downward movement when the length of the arc exceeds a predetermined limit.

4:. In an are lamp, the combination of a movable carbon-support, a shaftcarrying a wheel or drum from which the carbol'i-suplmrt is suspended, aclutch-wheel mounted on said shaft, a gravitallyactin g armature whichnormally overcomes the weight of the carbonsupport, having the same axisof rotation as said shaft, but independent thereof, and a breakingdevice carried by, and moving with the armature which normally acts uponsaid clutch-wheel to prevent the downward movement of thecarbon-support, but which permits free upward movement of said support,and a magnet for moving said armature and break device.

5. In an arc lamp, the combination of the 9 movable carbon-support J,shaft G, wheel or drum I, clutch-wheel L, armature M, dog or dogs Q, andadjustable stop U, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I at'lix my signature in the. presence of twowitnesses.

ERW 1N LIXVIGNS. lVitnesses:

GEO. ll. BENJAMIN, PAUL N. ',VURNER.

IOO

